As the Sun Sets
by OriginalJ3SS
Summary: This is Twilight, only Bella isn't such a twat and actually has a personality and stands up for herself some. This story follows the book, the only differences being possibly a few added scenes due to Bella not being a doormat which may open up for slight differences in the situations she encounters. SM owns Twilight; I only rounded out Bella as a person. Updated at least once week
1. Preface

As the Sun Sets

Preface:

I'd given a lot of thought to how I'd die in the past few months and let me tell you – this wasn't it. Not even once had _this_ crossed my mind.

Surely there were worse ways to die. At least this was to save someone I loved. I'd rather be dying _by _him, not _for_ him, but I guess if I have to die this was maybe sorta…noble?

I knew if I'd never gone to Forks I wouldn't be facing death now – hell, if I'd made any one of a thousand choices differently since I got here I wouldn't be facing death now, at least not like this. But if that were the case I also wouldn't have the stories I have now. My life would have been boring and really – who wants that?

I took a breath, shaking my head and looking into the dark eyes of my hunter. "That all you got?"

He smiled pleasantly at my question as he sauntered forward to kill me.

* * *

A/N: If you're like me and thought that the beginning of Twilight kind of dragged on forever, then you're probably going to think the same of my story (trust me, I thought so writing it). There's not much I can do about it because I'm following the book so closely. Worst case scenario, jump ahead to when you started actually liking the book and go from there. You know the story – you won't miss much. :)

I said it in the summary so that I wouldn't have to say it everywhere else so here is the last time I'm going to say it. SM owns the story which I am taking nearly everything from. The only thing I could even maybe possibly say I have any sort of "ownership" over is the changes to Bella's personality.

Reviews are appreciated. Do you like the way the story is going, or do you wish I deviated from SM's version a bit more? Let me know! I read and respond to every review.

Updates are at minimum weekly, usually biweekly. Maybe three times a week if reception of my last chapter is good and I get inspired.

PM me if you want to be a pre-reader/beta.

Thanks for your time and hope you enjoy!

~ J3SS


	2. First Sight

Summary: This is Twilight, only Bella isn't such a twat and actually has a personality and stands up for herself some. This story follows the book, the only differences being possibly a few added scenes due to Bella not being a doormat which may open up for slight differences in the situations she encounters. SM owns Twilight; I only rounded out Bella as a person. Enjoy! :)

Rated 'M' for safety.

* * *

Chapter One: First Sight

My hair whipped around my face as warm air poured through the open car window. It was seventy-five degrees in Phoenix, the sky a clear, perfect, cloud-free blue as usual. I was wearing my favorite shirt – a fitted black t-shirt which was covered in red splatter and had white lettering reading 'This is my zombie killing shirt'. I was wearing it because I knew my mom didn't really like it and on top of that the fit was flattering. A nice 'goodbye' to Phoenix. Folded across my lap was a new zip-up – soon to be a wardrobe staple.

A small town by the name of Forks is located on the Olympic Peninsula of northwest Washington State. And by small, I mean miniscule. There were more people in my high school class in Phoenix then there are in the entire town. To make matters worse – it rains there more than anywhere else in America. And no, that's not an exaggeration. I've never questioned why my mom grabbed me one day and up and left for a brighter future right after I was born.

I used to have to go back every summer to spend some time with my Dad but when I was fourteen I'd told him that I was done, and if he wanted to see me anymore we were going to have to spend some time somewhere sunnier. The gray is _so _depressing. For the last three years we'd spent our time in California instead.

It was there that I was now heading, to my great horror, of my own free will. I detest Forks. I love Phoenix. I love the sun and the heat and the sight and sound of the city all around me.

"Bella," my mom's voice broke through my thoughts "You don't have to do this." I wish she'd stop saying that or I just may take her up on it.

She looks like me, except older, with sorter hair and wrinkles around her mouth and eyes from smiling so much. As I looked into her wide, childish eyes I wondered how I could leave her. How she would take care of herself. I had to remind myself that she had Phil now – the reason I was leaving. He'd make sure that there was food in the house and gas in the car and that the bills were paid.

"I want to go, so would you just drop it already?" I'd said this so much over the past few days that I was actually starting to think it may be true. But right as that thought entered my head I remember exactly _where _it was I was heading and I knew it was simply a lie.

"Tell your Dad I say 'hi'?"

"Will do." I probably wouldn't.

"I'll see you soon," She said, more for herself than for me. "I'll be back whenever you need me; you can come home as soon as you want." Again – more for herself. She still felt guilty.

"I'll be fine Mom, you just go have fun. You deserve a fresh start. I wouldn't want to hold that back from you and all." I said as she hugged at the gate.

It's a four hour non-stop flight from Phoenix to Seattle, an hour in a puddle-jumper to Port Angles, and then an hour drive to Forks. It was the car ride with Charlie, my Dad, that had me nervous.

All things considered, Charlie had been pretty cool with the whole thing. There aren't many single parents who would have been okay with taking a teenage child of the opposite sex on full time with only two weeks' notice when they were only used to spending a few weeks a year with them. He'd already managed to get me signed up for school. Starting in the middle of the year. Joy. At least he said he'd help me get a car. Still – this situation had 'awkward' written all over it.

Charlie was waiting for me in Port Angeles where, surprise surprise – it was raining. Good thing I'd already said my goodbyes to the sun. We headed off to his police cruiser, he's the chief of Police in Forks – read 'reason number one I want my own car', and headed toward what was now to be known as 'home'. Let me tell you – nothing slows down traffic like a cop.

Neither one of us knew what to say, if there really was anything to say in a situation like this. 'Hey, it's nice of you to randomly choose to leave your mother and new stepfather and come to a place that you absolutely hate in the middle of the school year so that your mom and aforementioned stepdad can go gallivanting across the country in peace.' Somehow didn't seem appropriate, no matter how true it was.

"It's nice to see you, Bells. You haven't changed much." He said, giving me an awkward one-armed hug. "How's Renee?"

"She's fine." I said, stepping out of his embrace. "She says 'hi'." I finished awkwardly, trying to cover my movements.

"Good, good." Awkward silence. "Should we be off then?"

"Sounds good to me."

We grabbed my one tiny bag and we were off. Most of my clothes wouldn't work for the wet and cold and so Mom and I had gone to the mall the week before and got some more things that would be good for layering. Things like winter coats and fleeces we had to get online and would be shipped later in the week.

"So, um…I got you a car…"

"You didn't have to do that Char—Dad, I've been saving up…"

"I got it real cheap from a friend. Was doing him a favor, really…It's really…well…It runs. And it's safe. I'm sure it's not the most fashionable thing but…"

"I'm sure it's great Dad, thank you."

"Well, I wouldn't be that quick to thank me, Bells. The engine is only a few years old but I think he got the the car itself in, well – 1984, maybe?"

"Did he get it new?"

"Umm, no. I don't think so." Charlie stared straight ahead, watching the wet road pass under his hood.

"Well" I sighed "It runs, right?"

"Yes, yes it does."

"Then it's better than the car I have currently and worst case scenario will work until I can get a different one. But I'm sure it'll be okay. Older cars have character?"

"Mmm" Charlie nodded in agreement. We spent the rest of the ride in comfortable silence.

Everything around here was so _green_. I guess it shouldn't surprise me with how much rain they get there. After the relative tan and brown of the desert though I just couldn't get over how many different _colors_ there were here. If something wasn't covered in green leaves, and sometimes even if it was, it was covered in this light green moss. It was on the ground, climbing up the trunks, and hanging in a canopy over the branches. It reminded me of the alien plants in the original Star Trek. So green it looked fake.

Eventually we made it to Charlie's. The house felt familiar. He still lived in the small two-bedroom, split-level that he had shared with my mom before we left. In fact – it looked like nothing had changed. The house was in serious need of a fresh coat of paint and some serious weeding. Something to occupy my time, I guess. Parked out front was what I could only hope was my new car. Truck. It was perfect.

"Please tell me that's mine." I breathed.

"You like it?" Charlie asked with a sideways glance.

I jumped out of the cruiser and ran over to it, running my hand across it's faded hood. "Are you kidding me? It's _amazing_!"

Charlie smiled. "It used to be red, I think." He picked at a piece of chipping paint by the door, "Maybe we can see about getting it redone—"

"No!" I said a little too loudly "I like it." I back-peddled, trying to let him know it was alright, I wasn't mad. He smiled and motioned toward the house.

We made it up easily in one trip and paused outside my bedroom door before he pushed open the door with his foot and backed in.

Only a few things had changed over the years. My old wood-framed crib had been swapped out for a plastic princess bed, which had since been swapped out for a modest queen mattress shoved against the far wall. The rocking chair of my youth had been exchanged for a secondhand desk and chair with a new laptop in the middle and some random school supplies scattered about. Charlie had put some cushions in the window seat and hung a curtain matching the purple bedspread in the window.

"If you don't like the colors we can change them this weekend." He stated awkwardly before leaving me to unpack.

"It's great Dad, thank you!" I yelled at his retreating figure.

As I set about hanging up what was left of my wardrobe in the small closet, I came across my bag of toiletries. I put them in a drawer in the bathroom, trying not to dwell on the fact that there was only one and I would have to share it with Charlie. At least he worked early mornings and for the most part would be gone by the time I woke up for school.

I heard Charlie call through the door and let me know that he was heading to bed and that I was welcome to anything in the kitchen if I was hungry. I thanked him and wished him a goodnight. I sighed as I heard his bedroom door click shut. I couldn't eat even if I wanted to.

Cracking the window and letting a few drops hit my face I finally allowed myself to acknowledge my situation. I was in a town that I hated, living with a man I barely knew, having my first day of school tomorrow at a school so small I couldn't even fathom, with a group of students who had been together since birth and oh yeah – it was the middle of the semester. I let a few tears mix with the rain on my face before sighing and flopping back on the bed.

I fell, fully dressed and on top of the covers hugging my teddy Bubba, letting the sound of the rain on the open window lull me into an uneasy sleep.

"Bells?" Charlie's soft knock on the door woke me what felt like mere minutes later. "Time to get up for school."

"Mmanks" I muttered, rolling over. 6:02am. Here we go.

'Forks High School only has three hundred students total.' I think to myself climbing into the shower ten minutes later. I could hear the sounds of Charlie in the kitchen. I am _not_ a morning person. 'That means now a total of fifty-eight in my class.' I groaned as I let the warm water cascade over my chestnut hair. Chestnut was a little over-exaggeration. My hair looked like poop. Not like 'it looks bad', like literal flush it down the toilet – shit. Ah well, what's a girl to do? At least it matches my eyes.

I'd never fit it anywhere. I was a little on the lanky side with arms a little too long for my body and no real definition that a woman should have. Maybe if I looked like a girl from Phoenix should I could use it to my advantage but I look like I haven't seen a day of sun in my life – always have no matter how much time I spend outside.

I glanced in my closet before pulling out my paint-covered jeans and a turquoise pull-over hoodie with holes. I glanced in the mirror hanging on the wall and realized that the holes had stretched enough that I now needed to wear an undershirt. I reached into the drawer without even looking and grabbed one of the new white lace-trimmed tanks that Renee had gotten me before I left and threw it on. Slipping my feet into my trusty old black converse I looked back at the mirror and sighed, pulling my hair into a side-braid. Fashionable? No, but stylish enough that I hoped it would do in a back-water town like this.

I made a quick stop in the bathroom to throw on a layer of mascara – something I usually wouldn't do – figuring that if everybody was going to be staring at me today I may as well at least look like I put some thought into it. In all reality I went for comfort, something anyone who cared would soon find out.

"You look nice, Bells." Charlie said as I came down the stairs. "Thanks." I replied looking at the floor. We ate in silence.

"Well, I'm off to work. Usually I will be gone by the time you get up but I wanted to be here for your first day." He said, "You know how to get to the school?" He added as an afterthought, one foot already out the door.

"Just off the main road." I said, shooting him a fake smile. 'Just like everything else in this God-forsaken town.' I muttered under my breath.

"Good good." He said, stepping out. "Have a nice day. Give me a call if you need anything." He shut the door.

I wouldn't dream of it.

I put my dishes in the sink and ran back up the stairs, grabbing my canvas slouch-bag and throwing my school supplies in it.

I didn't want to get to school too early but I knew that it would take a while to finish getting registered and get my schedule. I threw my hood up as I stepped out into the drizzle. Once inside the safety of my cab I took a deep breath and looked around.

It was definitely an old vehicle and smelled faintly of mint and tobacco. There were cracks in the seats and the glove compartment was locked. A quick glance told me I didn't have the key. I turned the truck on and it revved a few times before roaring to life. The clutch was sticky and the doors creaked. The radio didn't work. I loved it.

I put my earbuds in and headed for the main road, pulling up in front of the school five minutes later, a good twenty minutes before school was due to start. There was nobody around and I followed the signs around to the back parking lot, hoping that I didn't take anybody's spot. People were weird about that in Phoenix.

There were signs to the office, and inside was a squat older woman with unnaturally red hair.

"May I help you?" She asked, startled. Clearly she hadn't been expecting me so early.

I cleared my throat "Bella Swan?"

"Ah right – of course you're Isabella. Charlie hasn't been able to shut up about you."

"Bella." I corrected, leaving everything else alone. "He said there was some more paperwork or something before I could get my schedule?"

"Of course." She said and started digging though a precariously stacked pile of papers. After signing the 'no drugs' contract, the 'no firearms' contract, and the 'no other items that could be construed as weapons' contract that all looked like they were straight out of the fifties she pulled out a 'no texting' contract and I had to stifle a laugh.

"Really?" I asked, glancing up.

"Oh, we take that one _very _serious here, Ms. Swan. If you're caught with your phone out, you'll have to come and get it back from me after school with a note for your parent to sign and bring back the next day!"

"Great." I muttered sarcastically. She didn't seem to note the sarcasm and smiled. "Is that everything?"

She pulled out my schedule, which had a map of the school on the back, and a paper for my teachers to sign. The layout was much the same as in Phoenix – a bunch of building pods that weren't connected to each other. That layout made sense there but here it just seemed stupid. I couldn't help but laugh.

"It rains here, right? Like a lot…"

"Yes'm it does. Why?"

"Who the hell thought it was a good idea to build a California-style school in the middle of the rainiest part of the world?"

"There's no beating optimism, I guess." She said, highlighting my quickest route on the map on the back of my schedule. "And not the World, I'm afraid. Only the United States. Welcome to Forks."

I walked out of the warm office and stood under the little overhang, trying to keep my papers dry and memorize the map now. I didn't want to be that new girl with her head buried in a piece of paper all day and the school wasn't that big anyways. If I couldn't get this I was going to have bigger problems.

I glanced up to see if I could orient myself better. The building across the way had a big number three on it and I realized that my first two classes were in there.

"Shoot." I chastised myself. Why had I not just grabbed my stuff before going into the office? It had really started raining now and there was no way to get back to my truck and then back here to the back buildings without getting absolutely soaked. My rain gear hadn't come in yet. Guess I was just destined to get a cold. I took a big breath, like that was going to do anything, put my head down against the onslaught, and ran full-boar for my truck parked in the student lot.

I didn't look up until I was in the safety of my still warm and blissfully dry cab. Luckily there still weren't too many cars in the lot and only a few students around. I guess the rain probably keeps them from milling about outside. For that I was _very _thankful. It hopefully meant that my amazingly ungraceful dash for shelter was missed by most. I'm nothing if not clumsy and I knew I was already going to be started at enough today.

I pulled down the passenger visor, thankful that at least half the mirror was still there, cracked as it was. I had mascara running down my cheeks in unglorified streaks.

"Great." I muttered to nobody in particular. "So much for looking like I actually gave a crap."

It took me a few minutes of rubbing at my face with my fingers to get my face back to some semblance of normal. When you're as white as I am, _any _color, especially black stands out like poop on freshly fallen snow.

"Snow. Another great thing to look forward to."

I said that sarcastically but if I was being honest with myself I was a tad excited for it. I'd never seen it in real life before. At least, not that I remembered. That being said – I hate the cold and the wet so I'm sure I'll get over the novelty of it _real _quick.

I glanced down, thankful that I'd worn my work jeans today. I had put them on because people seemed to think that they were cool and made me look artsy or something but the truth of the matter is that they are my favorite and best fitting pair so I wear them a lot and I'm clumsy. I haven't really grown in a few years and I've had them pretty much that entire time. In that time they've gotten a few small holes, the backs are all worn out along the bottom because they're just a touch too long and they have all sorts of paint and glue and who knows what else stained on them. That means that they hide the mascara off my fingers perfectly though. I just hoped it wouldn't rub off on anything else during the day. That could get embarrassing. After school I was going to have to invest in some waterproof mascara.

I sighed and looked out the rain stained window. While I was cleaning myself up the parking lot had pretty much filled. A quick glance at my phone told me that the first bell was about to ring. And that I only had one bar. Great.

Grabbing my backpack and getting out of the truck I was relieved to see that most of the cars in the lot were older. Not that I minded my truck because she was perfect, but the more I could do to blend in, the better. I was already going to be the center of attention – a place I wasn't too fond of. Most of the cars back at my old school were new and expensive. A lifestyle I never really understood.

A shiny Volvo caught my eye as I walked back toward the back buildings. I knew it was a nice and expensive car, but it wasn't flashy by any means. It was parked next to a new jeep which had its roof off. Who would be so stupid as to leave their car like that here in Forks? It had to have been raining when they got here… Regardless – they were the nicest cars in the lot by far and stood out like a sore thumb. Kind of like I had a feeling I was about to.

I slipped unnoticed into building three behind a group of darker colored raincoats who all seemed to be heading in the same direction. I took one last glance at my schedule before putting it away, hopefully for good. The group headed into the classroom I was going for so I followed them in just as the second bell rang.

"You must be Isabella." A tall, balding man said when he saw me enter. "I'm Mr. Mason and I believe you have a paper for me to sign."

"It's just Bella, please." I said, handing him the slightly damp sheet of paper. "Nobody calls me 'Isabella' anymore."

"Of course, of course." He said absentmindedly, scribbling on my paper and handing it back with a stack of books. He waved his hand toward an empty seat in the back of the class without a second glance. At least it would be harder for everyone to stare if I was in the back. Or so I thought.

I looked over the books, trying to ignore the eyes I could feel pressing into me from every angle. I swiped my fingers discreetly under my eyes again to make sure that I didn't have any more streaks from my trek back here and was relieved when my fingers came back clean. As for the books, they were pretty standard and nothing I hadn't read before. Bronte, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Faulkner – at least I'd remembered to back my computer backup drive. Along with all of my music and pictures and old contacts it had every outline and paper I'd written since sixth grade. I'm sure with very little tweaking I'd be able to recycle more than a few here. If you've already done the work and know the material, what's the use in wasting your time with it again?

"So you're Isabella Swan, right?" A girl asked conspiratorially from my left as the bell rang.

"Didn't you hear her? She goes by 'Bella', stupid." The girl on my left.

I looked up when I saw her extend her hand. "I'm Jessica. That's –" she spit the word, "Lauren."

I took her hand as a gangly boy with skin problems and oil-black hair approached us.

"I'm Eric." He said with a smile. He looked like the overly-helpful chess club type. "What's your next class?"

"Uhm, I think it's Government with Jefferson?" I prayed that was correct.

"Oh!" Jessica squealed loudly in my ear. "That's where we're heading! You can come with us." She smiled as I grabbed my stuff and grabbed my arm and looped it through hers as we left the classroom. Eric followed behind us, looking slightly defeated but determined to keep up.

"So – this is a lot different than Phoenix, huh?" He asked, pushing through the hallway to stand up next to us. I tried to ignore everyone watching as we passed. "It doesn't rain very much there, does it?"

"No, not really. So yes, in a lot of ways Forks is _very _different." The girl named Lauren scoffed somewhere on the other side of Jessica. I could already tell we were going to have a problem. This is why I hate girls and don't really have many friends. Somehow I had a feeling that wouldn't fly here though. I was the shiny new toy and everybody wanted a turn. "A lot of rain is like four or five times a year there."

"Wooow – I wonder what that's like…" He trailed off, lost in thought.

"Sunny." I shot back, pulling him back into the conversation.

He laughed a little embarrassed.

"You don't look very tan." Lauren.

And you don't look very smart, but some things aren't nice to say, Lauren.

"My mother is part albino." I said, turning into the classroom. I heard something from the back of the room – I couldn't decide if it was a chuckle or a light tinkling of bells. Before I could turn to see I was swept up with instructions from the teacher. By the time I could have checked, I'd forgotten about the foreign sound.

The rest of the morning passed in about the same fashion. Mr. Varner, my Trig teacher who I would have hated simply because of the subject he taught, made himself even worse in my book by making me stand up in front of the class and introduce myself, and then placed me smack-dab in the middle of the room for all to see. Needless to say it was a long morning and when the bell signaled a break for lunch I was more than relieved.

I was starting to recognize a few faces, though I couldn't always put names to them. Unfortunately I seemed to have a lot of classes with Jessica and Lauren and quickly realized that the reason that Lauren had a stick up her butt, or at least one of the reasons, is that Jessica was trying to stake her claim on me as her new best friend, effectively kicking Lauren out of what she figured was her rightful position. It wouldn't last long; at least I hoped it wouldn't. I hoped my appeal would wear off in a few days, weeks at the most when people realized that there really wasn't anything special about me and I could fade back into invisibility. I was comfortable there. No one bothered me and I bothered no one – a win-win for everyone.

"Bella!" Jessica called me over to a table filled with people as soon as I exited the lunch line. "Over here!" She pushed Lauren over to make room for me.

I recognized a few of the faces as I walked over. Eric from first period and a guy, I think his name was Mike – we had Trig and maybe one other class so far together. There was another quiet-looking girl sitting on the other side of Lauren.

"Hi, my name's Angela." She said with a smile as I sat down.

"Bella." I said, returning the smile with a nod. She seemed nice.

The table we were at was in the far corner of the cafeteria and was full of people. I knew that there was no way I was going to remember everybody's name. They all seemed impressed though that Jessica seemed to be on such good terms with me. I listened absentmindedly to the drum of noise around me and kept my head down. The room seemed to get infinitesimally quieter so I glanced up to see what was going on and that's when I first saw them. I couldn't look away.

They were sitting in the opposite corner, as far away from our table as the small room would allow. There were five of them, and even though they were all looking in different directions and their lips weren't moving, they seemed to be having a conversation.

They each had a tray of untouched food out in front of them and they weren't staring at me like most of the school was – like I was at them. None of this was what had me so captivated though. They were the most beautiful creatures I'd ever seen, and they looked nothing alike.

There were two girls at the table and to say that they looked like supermodels would be one of the grossest understatements of my life. They were opposite of each other in the way they looked but both gorgeous in their own right. One of the girls was short, with spiky black hair that stuck out of her head in a beautiful mess of darkness. Even in the way she sat you could tell that she was graceful. I just wanted her to get up and walk around – she gave off the feeling that she wouldn't be walking, she'd be gliding. She looked like the living embodiment of a pixie from the stories that we were told as children.

The other girl was by far the most beautiful human being I'd ever seen. She had long golden hair that fell to her waist in gentle waves and even sitting down I could tell that she had a figure better suited for the cover of Sports Illustrated than a high school cafeteria. She was the type of girl that that made every girl around her take a hit of her self-esteem by simply being in the same room with her.

Then there were the boys – one was massive, he looked like a bear. I once saw one of those wrestlers on TV while I was at the grocery store, he was standing right next to me – this kid made him look like a toddler. He had dark, curly hair that puffed out from his head in a short, calculated mess. One of the other guys was taller and leaner, but still muscular, though nothing like the first. He had honey blond hair that fell to just above his shoulders and had a nice, natural wave to it. I bet it flowed around his face as he moved.

The last boy was…perfect. He was less bulky than the other two, a bit more lanky, and his bronze hair fanned out around his head in a perfect mess. Most boys would spend hours in front of the mirror learning how to make their hair do that but you could just tell that his was natural. That no matter what he tried to do with it, it would always end back up in that perfect mess. Although he looked younger than the others, a bit more boyish, they all looked like they belonged in college, not high school. And while they all looked different, they were distinctly – the same.

They all had the same chalky pale skin, so light it made mine look tan, by far the lightest shade in the room. And they all had the same statuesque quality to the way they sat, the way they moved. As I looked closer I realized that they all had eye colors ranging in the same shade of golden to dark brown, despite the difference in hair color. They also all had dark circles under their eyes – the kind you get from lack of sleep, though theirs looked more like bruises than lack of sleep.

All of this wasn't why I couldn't look away though. I couldn't look away because even though different, they were all devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful. The closest I'd ever seen was the airbrushed faces in a magazine. Even then they weren't this perfect. There was always some flaw – the eyes weren't perfectly symmetrical, the nose wasn't straight or in proportion to the face but not here. The closest thing I could compare them to were the faces of angles painted by the masters. It was hard to decide who was the most beautiful, the blonde girl or the bronze-haired boy.

Jessica caught me staring just as the little pixie girl got up to throw out her tray. I was right about her movement. So fluid – so beautiful.

"Those are the Cullens."

"Hmm?" I asked startled and slightly embarrassed that I'd been caught staring. I dragged my eyes back to meet Jessica's. While pretty she seemed so plain in compression. My eyes almost hurt. I felt a slight withdrawal and fought the urge to look back at them again.

"The Cullens." She said again, glancing over her shoulder. I stole a quick glance and saw the bronze-haired boy look in our direction and away again so quickly that I couldn't be sure that he'd actually looked over here. It was almost as if someone had called his name and he'd turned his head out of habit. I looked away again.

"The brown-haired one is Edward and the big one is Emmett, they're both Cullens. The blonde boy is Jasper and his sister is the blonde girl Rosalie – they're both Hales and the only ones related by blood. Oh, and the one who left is Alice Cullen. She's a little weird." She said as an afterthought.

"Be nice." Angela said. I knew I'd like her.

"What? It's weird. They're all together. Like dating. It's weird!"

"They're adopted Jess, it's not like they're actually siblings."

"Still." She shuttered for effect.

I cleared my throat. "They're all really…" I struggled to find the right words. "Nice looking." I finished lamely. The whole table laughed.

"That's an understatement." Angela smiled at me warmly.

"Well, Edward is the only one that's available and I think he might be gay. He doesn't even look at anybody here." She gave a small huff. It was clear that at some point in the past he had turned her down. "Emmett is with Rosalie and Jasper and Alice are together and they don't talk to or hang out with anybody. Their Dad is nice though – he's the doctor. They live out in this mansion outside of town in the woods and keep to themselves. Never go to or throw any parties. For that matter, nobody has ever actually seen their house…" She trailed off into thought and then shrugged as the bell signaled a close to lunch. "Oh well! Off to class. Come on Bella." She grabbed my arm and as we were exiting the cafeteria I swore I saw the Cullens watching me, studying me as though something was wrong, though we were around the corner too quickly for me to be sure.

"Have they always lived in Forks?" I asked as we headed toward the Biology lab.

"Nope. Moved here a few years ago from Alaska when Dr. Cullen was offered the job."

"Which one is the boy with the reddish hair?" I asked.

"Edward." She replied. "Why?" She looked at me curiously. "He's gorgeous I know, but I already told you, I think he's gay."

I knew he wasn't gay, she was just frustrated that he hadn't been interested in her.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I think he was giving me a weird look. Like he was frustrated with me or something."

"Well, you can ask him in Bio. He's the only one with an open lab partner." She said brightly.

My stomach dropped.

Walking into the lab room it was pretty clear that there were no other options besides his desk. I tried to ignore his eyes on my back as the teacher, Mr. Banner, signed my paperwork and handed me my textbook. Thankfully he skipped introductions and waved me off to my seat.

"By Mr. Cullen, then Mrs. Swan." He looked in Edward's direction. "How about you actually let her do some of the work now, alright?" I glanced up in time to see Edward give a curt nod. He looked _furious. _

I slid into my seat mumbling a 'hello'. He said nothing.

From where I was sitting I could see that he had positioned himself as far away from me as the small lab table would allow and his knuckles were white from how hard he had them fisted in his lap. He was sitting ramrod straight. I stole a quick glance at his face and had to stifle my shock. His eyes were black.

Coal black.

Mr. Banner started lecturing about something that I'd covered in freshman bio and he quickly lost my attention.

I pulled my book and notes out and spread them out in front of me, trying to at least make it look like I was paying attention to the teacher and not the statue beside me. Since I had sat down, Edward had not once taken his eyes off of me and it now appeared that he was starting to shake, though I couldn't be sure. It almost seemed more like his body was starting a low hum.

I moved so that my hair was covering my face, only occasionally peaking through to see if he was still staring at me, though there was no need. I could feel his dark eyes on my skin.

He never once relaxed during class. It seemed to drag on longer than the others. I couldn't help but notice how muscular he was. I was wrong before when I said he looked more boyish than the others. Up close and tensed up as he was I could clearly see the muscular definition of a man.

I blushed slightly and hoped that nobody had noticed me staring at what I'm sure looked like his lap. It wasn't – I mean I wasn't – awh hell. What's his problem? He didn't know me from Eve! Maybe Jessica's indifference at lunch wasn't so misplaced after all. Was this normal behavior? Whatever it was – it needed to stop.

What seemed like _ages _later the bell rang and as I turned toward him to ask what was wrong, Edward jumped up and practically ran out of the room. I hadn't seen him pack up his stuff but he left nothing behind so he must have done it while I was pretending to listen to Mr. Banner drown on about whatever it was he was talking about.

I sat frozen in my seat, shocked. What the hell? What had just happened? I'd had people hate me before, sure, everyone has, but usually I have to do something first. They have to know me a little bit. At least know _something _about me. A girl at my old school hated me because I didn't have to try at school and she did but this – this was just…

"Geeze Bella, what did you do? Cullen looked like he wanted to kill you." One of the boys from lunch, Mike I think his name was, said as he leaned against my table while I put my papers in my bag.

"I have no clue what his problem was." I said, not glancing up "But if he doesn't get over it, we're gonna have a problem."

"You want me to talk to him for you?" I snorted before I could stop myself and tried to cover it with a chuckle. This kid was nice, but he was just that – a kid. Edward would eat him for dinner.

"No thanks, I can handle it myself." I looked up.

"Where are you headed next, need any help?"

"I'm heading to gym, I think I can find it though. Back toward the cafeteria, right?"

"Yup! I'm heading there too though, we can walk together." He said smiling.

Great. I seem to have picked up a puppy dog.

He chattered the entire way there, I only 'mmhmm' and 'uhhuh'ed where appropriate. It was nice though because it meant that my mind could be free to ponder other things. What had been up with Edward? He looked like he was in pain – like I'd stabbed him with a pencil or killed his cat or something. I knew I didn't smell bad because I'd showered that morning and always wear deodorant and we hadn't even talked so it couldn't have been anything I'd said…

Had he seen me staring at lunch? My heart dropped. That had to have been it. He'd seen me staring and was trying to get back at me by doing the same thing. I knew it was rude but I couldn't help it. I would have to apologize. Still – that seemed a little harsh of a payback for something so trivial. A lot of people were staring at them, not just me. They had to know what they looked like – wrong or not it had to be expected. So why single me out?

"Don't worry about Cullen." Mike said, breaking through my thought. "He's a weird guy. If I'd been lucky enough to sit by you I would have at least talked to you." He smiled as he headed off toward the guy's locker room. "See you in there!" And he was off.

"See you in there." I muttered under my breath with a sigh. Gym and the uncoordinated didn't go together.

Luckily I didn't have to participate today. I got my uniform but Coach Clapp, such an unfortunate name, especially for a gym teacher, didn't make me dress down. At home I had finished my physical education requirements because we only had to take two years. Here, all four years were required. I wish I had waited to take it at home so that I would only have to do two – curse you mom for convincing me to get it out of the way early!

I watched a bunch of volleyball games happening simultaneously, thankful that I was allowed to sit out today. Balls and I don't have a great track record. I can't even remember the number of injuries I've given and sustained over the years. Just the thought of having to step in tomorrow made me feel faintly nauseated. Maybe I could somehow magically get sick and not have to play, then make a miraculous recovery before class ended.

I sighed as the last bell rang and I headed back toward the office to turn back in my signed sheet. When I opened the door to the small office I almost turned back around and shut it.

Standing in the middle of the room talking to the squat woman from this morning was Edward Cullen. I decided against leaving because I wasn't going to let him dictate my moves and because I wanted to figure out what his problem with me was. I wasn't going to put up with another day like today, especially if there was no real reason for it.

I heard him arguing with the office lady in a low, attractive voice. I didn't hear much but it was definitely about Biology. It was about me! He was trying to switch out of the class! I couldn't believe my ears. I cleared my throat and the desk lady jumped, not having realized that I had entered the room. Edward ignored me. Typical. This was getting old – fast.

Some small part of me was clinging to the hope that this wasn't about me at all, but it was some misunderstanding, some other aggravating factor that had happened before class and had just happened to appear to be taken out on me. All hope of that was now lost though, and just as I opened my mouth to ask what his problem was, he swept past me and through the door without a second glance.

"Well" The desk lady said clearly shaken by the whole situation. "I don't know what's gotten into Mr. Cullen. Quite rude and not at all like him." She shook her head and straightened a few papers on her desk absently. Great. So it was just me. I did this to him.

"Here's your paper." I said, nearly shoving it into her open hand.

"How was your first day, dear?" She asked, coming back to herself.

"Over, thankfully." I muttered, hoping it was too low for her to hear as I stormed out of the office and off toward my truck.

How that boy thought he had the nerve…why did it matter to me anyway? I didn't do anything to him. This isn't my fault. If he's going to insist on being a dick for no reason I'll just see if Mr. Banner can move partners around since clearly there are no other classes to move into – he already checked.

By the time I got back to my truck it was the only car in the lot. I sat in the cab, the closest thing I had to a home in this damp green hole, and marveled at how quickly something could feel like a haven – safe. Now if only I could figure out what I had done to have made an enemy already I'd be golden.

I stared out the window blankly until it started to fog and the cold set into my bones, then I started the engine with a roar and headed back toward Charlie's house, fighting the hot tears brimming behind my eyes the whole way there.


End file.
